


one o'clock

by aeonpathy



Series: on the horizons [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angels vs. Demons, Gen, Other, War, basically taeil and johnny and what they feel, mention of markhyuck, microscopic norenmin, mild violence, super tiny angst, the use of swords, tiny humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2019-12-07 04:57:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18230228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeonpathy/pseuds/aeonpathy
Summary: jealousy and power consume those who fall into delusions and insecurities. taeil wishes that wasn't the case.





	one o'clock

**Author's Note:**

> this is the first story of the series where it's more of an opening. backstories will come with their respective story/person.

 

 

 

war is inevitable.

 

however, this one is uncertain. the motives behind this don't fall short on taeil. he can practically hear the envy boiling green, like some hybrid lochness monster. 

 

taeil used to love looking at the emerald reach. the grass swayed happily, the flowers sunbathed when the warm rays would filter through the usual white clouds. yet today, taeil is afraid the reach will turn ruby red.

 

he stares bitterly at the sky, chewing on his bottom lip. the monochrome tones that paint the battlefield leave a sour taste in his mouth, bile threatening to bubble up his esophagus and spill out.

 

war.

 

it's an ugly thing, really. eloyirion hasn't had a major war in what, eight millennia? 

 

a knock at his chamber door makes him sigh dolorously, taking his sights away from the window. he counts to three before clicking his tongue.

 

"come in, taeyong," taeil says, swiveling his attention to the door. the commander quietly walks in, already dressed in armor, wings drawn behind his back. taeyong takes one glance at him before emitting a similar sigh.

 

"his majesty is wondering where you are," taeyong starts, staring past taeil and out the window. "it's almost dawn, and he is growing vexed each second your presence isn't at the table."

 

"yong, you know i hate when you talk like that, cut the crap," he snaps, slamming his hand on the table at the end of his bed. "eloyirion is about to be in ruins, all because  _his majesty_ is greedy and power hungry and you know it. and now he wants to destroy this realm and what else? our fucking family? i haven't heard anything from johnny or yuta in four damn months!" 

 

taeyong inhales sharply. "taeil, we don't have time for this shit. vaernth's king is the same, you know." 

 

the head mage pops his lips mockingly. "gee, thanks, didn't notice."

 

"there's nothing we can fucking do, taeil! we'd all be executed," the younger retaliates, wings unfurling. 

 

"and you two are about to get a sword to the neck," a new voice barks, and taeil looks up to see donghyuck fuming angrily, arms crossed. 

 

"dong—"

 

"i don't want to hear it, taeyong. if you two aren't in the great hall within the next minute, it'll be off with your heads," the general cuts, tone icy. 

 

taeil and taeyong share a gaze before vanishing in a blink, teleporting to the great hall.

 

♔

 

the atmosphere is tense once taeil's body finally materializes in his seat at the other end of the council's table. everyone's wearing a blank face, but the air is stuffy, and it's smothering him completely.

 

he hates everything.

 

"glad you could eventually make it, lovely head mage," an arrogant voice croons. taeil's left eye twitches so violently that he tightly grips the armrests to stop himself from saying something he'd regret.

 

"i ask for your forgiveness, your majesty," he replies, sicheng slightly grimacing at the tone. "i got preoccupied with a slight disruption."

 

the archangel hums. it sounds sarcastic and taeil would like nothing more than to slam his staff into his head.

 

"as i was explaining, war is on the horizon," junho speaks, drawing everyone's attention to the map of emerald reach. taeil watches as the mountains shift, swarms of red blobs slowly merging forward. 

 

"we ready up now. prepare the troops. i expect nothing to go wrong,  _understood_? dismissed."

 

taeil shoots out of his seat at the last word. he storms out the double doors, kun and ten on his trail.  

 

"are we still going with the plan?" ten asks as they round the corner of the corridor, speeding to the field.

 

kun scoffs. "we've been planning this for months, there's no backing out."

 

they make it to the fields. thousands of angels are gearing up: squadrons gathering together, armor gleaming, wings out and proud. taeil feels sick to his stomach. 

 

his staff weighs heavily in the palm of his hand. it's been a while since he's used it for battle purposes, and taeil wants no part of it. of this.

 

he chants an incantation, ribbons of light swirling around him. everyone quiets and kneels down on one knee.

 

taeil's nauseous. 

 

"here before me, i see only the bravest willing to fight for a cause. i see us striving for the better of the lives of every inhabitant of this world. today, it ends here. may the heavens watch over us," he speaks, the magic stilling before shooting out into the sky.

 

angels get up to let out a war cry. taeil hears the thumping and clanging. it pains him.

 

the whisper of blessings touches every single angel on the field, the magic sparkling to the ground. it gives taeil mild relief.

 

taeyong's shouting.

 

"positions! report with your leaders. formations! archers, with kun. squadron three, to the right with general lee! i need the mages with general sicheng. jungwoo, please follow sicheng."

 

taeil sees a horde of demons being led by none other than johnny and mark, the glint of demonic blades taunting him.

 

a body warms up next to him. "i hate this," donghyuck whispers, eyes dull. the young general is toying with the hilt of his zweihänder, not daring to look ahead.

 

taeil's heart breaks. shatters. "you know the plan. the dragon might awake and put you at risk, hyuck. get to earth by the next hour. i'll distract as much as i can...renjun needs to let you know when the heaven gate is about to collapse," he replies softly. "don't worry about us right now."

 

donghyuck's eyes are still dead. he gives taeil one sad look before commanding his squad to the right of the reach.

 

his staff is scorching to the touch. to his left, ten nods at him before sprinting back to the castle, leaving his group with taeil. to his right, chenle is fiddling with his runes.

 

taeil closes his eyes and chants, staff glowing. his wings are surging with energy, burning with untapped power. he flies straight up, stares at the banks of the lulan river, and miraculously makes eye contact with johnny.

 

slashes of light cut through the sky, large and aiming right towards the incoming horde, staff continuously glowing brighter.

 

taeil's consumed only by regret and sorrow.

 

♚

 

"donghyuck's to your left, sicheng and jungwoo to the right, taeyong's charging and ten retreated to the palace," johnny says, landing. "doyoung, after sicheng."

 

"let me go," a tense voice calls, and the demon speaking lands next to him.

 

"yuta, absolutely not," jaehyun hisses behind them. the anger radiating off yuta makes johnny pity his friend but...there's no time for emotions to control them.

 

"anyways, mark, go after donghyuck, please."

 

his commander goes rigid beside him; johnny doesn't comment on it, yet there's a little voice in his head that's flashing warning signs.

 

"i...yeah, okay," mark responds with shortly, hands tightening around his longsword. 

 

"we don't have enough time to chit-chat. jaehyun, go for kun. yuta, i need you to get to the palace and get in, i don't care how you do it. ten's probably guarding there, too, so take yukhei with you."

 

it's a bad idea. it's a fucking terrible idea. having ten fight yukhei is possibly the worst hand johnny can play. johnny's breaking all the trust ever given to him.

 

yukhei looks at him in betrayal.

 

"i'm not asking you to kill your cousin, damn it, just get him tired so he'll let you in. we charge  _now_."

 

and they're up in the air, wings thundering as the legions behind them follow their leads. 

 

doyoung and jaehyun split off from the group to head right into sicheng, jungwoo, and kun, while yuta flies higher with yukhei to get to the castle. the only people left are mark, jeno, jaemin, and jisung.

 

"jaemin, fall back into the woods with mark. jeno, jisung, with me."

 

johnny peers at the angels' front line and his brain turns to mush. there's taeil with chenle. johnny freezes temporarily when taeil makes eye contact. even this far away, they still manage to find each other's eyes and the sad smile taeil offers him has his heart seizing up uncomfortably. 

 

they have no choice but to fight. they're nothing but pawns for their kings. if they were to disobey, they would be labeled as traitors and executed. 

 

simple.

 

but a selfish part of johnny doesn't care about the consequences. both kings have done nothing but break them apart. lies, jealousy, and envy have slammed nails in between their family, friendship, and relationships. 

 

johnny watches as taeil's staff glows, and suddenly a slash of light is rapidly being directed his way. he brings his odachi out of its sheath, shouting a command. his circle splits into two, letting the slash cut through. 

 

they finally cross over the river and land. jisung's eyes are purely black, and johnny tries not to squirm at the sight.

 

the poor kid bears the gift of the corrupted; he's the only one able to read and chant ancient text. jisung's never had a normal childhood since the "gift" was discovered.

 

he's distracted.

 

a black chain is zooming past him and johnny whips around only to find taeyong flying at him, firangi in hand. the mob of angels behind taeyong surge to the left so respectively, johnny's circle rushes to meet them.

 

johnny's supposed to be fighting taeil. his odachi might have the range, but it doesn't have the speed that taeyong possesses when swinging his firangi. taeyong lands in front of him, face grim.

 

"you don't suppose we fake fight, do you?" johnny asks, swinging his sword down. taeyong snorts.

 

"that's what i was just about to say," the commander huffs, dodging. "oh, hey jeno, jisung, how are you guys?"

 

"would be better if we weren't fighting, but you know, the king of hell has his orders," jeno retorts, watching them. "i'm gonna go help the first circle before they think something."

 

jeno's khopesh forms in his hand while he's flying off. johnny lightly parries a strike from taeyong, jisung chanting a variety of animated spells to random spots on the field. 

 

"how long do you think yuta and yukhei are going to take to get to junho?"

 

"depends, really. they'd have to get past his barrier."

 

"fuck."

 

"yeah, sorry 'bout that."

 

jisung yawns. "i'll try to breach a small hole for them, don't sweat." johnny smiles. 

 

"thanks, jisung. hey, stop using the gift, you're draining yourself," he calls, chanting, and his blade starts glowing red.

 

jisung shrugs before fluttering down the bank.

 

"is that necessary for a fake fight," taeyong teases, sidestepping. "i forgot your odachi had the edge of the undying."

 

"for theatrics, yunno."

 

taeyong grins before slamming his firangi into the soil. the earth shakes slightly and his body flickers gold; johnny tumbles into a backflip, wings allowing him to hover in the air. taeyong's actual gold. his eyes are gold, his armor is pulsating with gold streaks, and his sword is radiating a ghastly variant of white.

 

he forgot commanders had an elite form. mark hasn't transformed in ages.

 

it continues like this, playful banter and quick jabs, but nothing exhausting or dangerous. johnny can hear swords clanging behind taeyong, he can hear demons yelling. occasionally, he'll see jeno dodging bullets (most likely from jungwoo) and from the light show above, taeil's using so many attack and shielding spells. taeil's mana reserve has always been the best, no wonder why he's the head mage of the royal army. 

 

taeyong coughs for his attention. johnny raises his brow, signaling for the former to speak up.

 

"taeil...wants me to tell you that we won't be able to kill wooyoung," he mumbles, swatting at jisung's imaginary arrow that managed to make its way over. johnny squints in bewilderment, his hands losing their grip on his handle. 

 

"why?"

 

the silence is a stab to johnny's chest. 

 

"we—we won't have the time. i'm sorry, johnny, we're sorry," and taeyong's bottom lip is trembling, his golden eyes, once clear and beautiful, are glassy with salty tears. "we'll let you get to junho easily, there's an opening on your right. ten's not with him...he's actually destroying the gate. you need to execute wooyoung somehow."

 

"the gate? you're not talking about the heav—"

 

there's a blast from the forest that has the both of them snapping their heads instantly to the sound. 

 

"johnny, please, what world is reflected when you walk into the mirage domain?"

 

"earth, but why—"

 

he's been cut off too many times to count, and his mind is throbbing in confusion.

 

"we have to go, that's renjun's, i, okay, you'll find us there, johnny, you will. we'll be there. i don't have enough time. get junho. none of us can stay. eloyirion's divine assembly is about to execute us right after this battle. you need to kill wooyoung. johnny, we love you and everyone." 

 

johnny feels the dread wash over him instantly.

 

the whisper of blessings coats the entire emerald reach. the king's entire royal guard is about to be executed by heaven's divine assembly. they're destroying the heaven gate. _ten's_ destroying the heaven gate. if johnny's right, renjun's been sealing that entrance on earth this whole time, and this battle was a delay. they're going to jump through the gate right before it collapses. yuta and yukhei are about to take junho on with no one there. they're leaving them here alone, making them assassinate their own corrupt monarchs.

 

"no, taeyong, what the _fuck_!"

 

taeyong's shaking his head. "tell yuta and the others to retreat. junho would eradicate them. go to the forest. taeil's been busy there. you'll find materials there to aid you with getting junho. we've hidden and stocked weapons and stuff. go to mark and jaemin!"

 

johnny watches his life splinter with his own eyes. half of the people he called family are fleeing. there's that slight, resentful taste of bitterness, but he can't blame or hate them at all.

 

the commander goes airborne, crying 'i'm sorry' and 'don't tell the others the truth.'

 

a letter floats in front of johnny, and he tracks the trail back to taeil, whose staff is spinning. 

 

he tucks the paper gingerly into the void for safekeeping. 

 

in the air, donghyuck, chenle, jungwoo, sicheng, kun, taeyong, and taeil gather, hold hands, and johnny observes the runes, spells, and incantations circling around them. he spots jaehyun and doyoung hovering in shock.

 

they vanish, teleporting to the final isle.

 

johnny can only gulp and ignore the stares from his generals in the sky.

 

♚

 

"yuta, yukhei, you need to retreat now. there's apparently a stash of more weapons and stuff to help assassinate junho, and taeyong told me that there was a small breach in junho's barrier on the right," he mutters, waiting for yuta's voice to flow through the soul channel. 

 

"taeyong could've said that earlier," the voice sighs, "but we'll teleport to you, we didn't even get to see or run into ten."

 

johnny's heart stutters. jaehyun, doyoung, jisung, and jeno keep staring oddly at him, and it's like they're boring holes into his skull, trying to figure out why he won't tell them where the angels went.

 

in front, yuta and yukhei walk out of their teleporting void, the abyss closing behind them.

 

yukhei sniffs.

 

"so, i heard weapons?"

 

"oh, right. yeah, let's hope mark and jaemin didn't die."

 

jaehyun taps his fingers along his kopis. "johnny, care to explain?" 

 

he's shaking.

 

"jae, do i look like i know? all i hear is an explosion, next thing you know, they're gone," he lies, and it sits heavy on his chest. he, johnny seo, reaper of vaernth, head of the prestigious first legion of hell, just lied to his team. 

 

 _it's for the sake of taeil and taeyong and all of them_ is what johnny thinks to himself, what he tells himself at least, unrest settling fast. 

 

yukhei tilts his head to the side, scrutinizing his face.

 

"what's going on?"

 

"what's going on is that taeil teleported all of them somewhere, and judging from the runes used, it wasn't back to junho," doyoung spits, swiping at the sweat dotted along his forehead. "and i know i'm not the only one who felt taeil's whisper of blessings on the field. do you know how much mana and will that takes? something's happening."

 

curse doyoung for his attentiveness. 

 

yuta's swaying his leg back and forth, eyes lost in thought. "we'll discuss once we get to mark. c'mon, let's go see where they are."

 

it doesn't take them long to find them. they sneak past the angels and demons fighting each other, only to stumble upon a crying mark and jaemin who's hugging the commander, spells floating around them, soothing.

 

the warning signs from earlier ring in his head. 

 

"mark?" he calls softly, trying not to startle the pair. the spells that once sparkled around the two fall, and mark's stiffening. jaemin's patting the other's head before stepping back, sad smile on his face.

 

"what's wrong," jeno whispers to jaemin, who only shakes his head. it's unnerving, to say the least. mark rarely cries. 

 

mark's exhaling deeply before shaking his head, tears on his chin being flung off. he points over to an area covered in vines, and a broken boulder lays beside. that's where the explosion from earlier probably happened.

 

"the materials are in there. donghyuck opened it before..." and the sentence ends there. everyone doesn't want to say anything. everyone knows donghyuck's mark's best friend. if anything, it was a touchy subject for mark, starting especially when the tension began between the kingdoms. 

 

johnny makes up his mind. "you guys go look inside. i need to speak to mark for a second."

 

mark looks like he's soul channeling with jaemin before rolling his shoulders back, eyes more tired than usual. the gang start up a conversation, trying to lighten the mood, and head toward the cave blocked by vines.

 

he swivels back to mark. his commander looks so tiny and lifeless.

 

"what happened with donghyuck? speak up."

 

mark smiles bitterly. 

 

"i don't know, johnny. how would you feel knowing you have to go against your own boyfriend, and then he kisses you crying in front of jaemin because he's about to be executed by the divine court of heaven after i fight him? and then he runs away to earth and i don't even get to know where on earth?"

 

it's broken and monotone.

 

johnny freezes. first, boyfriend? it makes so much more sense for his actions earlier. secondly, mark and jaemin know about them going to earth?

 

"yeah, kid, taeyong told me the same thing. taeil...taeil sent a letter before they disappeared. donghyuck loves you, mark. we all do. keep your head up, we have to do what we have to do," he consoled, resting his palm on mark's head. the faint glow of red emits from johnny's hand. a single tear runs down mark's cheek.

 

"so only jaemin, you, and i can know this?"

 

"unfortunately."

 

the pair walk toward the cave, the weight on their shoulders now multiplied by tenfold. 

 

♔

 

taeil chants to himself. he watches jungwoo firing blanks at jeno, watches the way taeyong transforms, or how he can see nakamoto in the corner of his eye, looking at a breach in junho's barrier around the palace. he wants to ask ten if the gate really is on the verge, but distracting ten from a task is risky.

 

in fact, he's so lost in his thoughts that the thing that fazes him is the loud explosion from the forest.

 

 _donghyuck_.

 

taeil sighs. well, there's their signal. when he said for renjun to contact him, he meant discreetly. renjun doesn't even know the extent of his own power, and it worries taeil sometimes. 

 

but the sound startles demons and angels alike so taeil uses this momentary distraction to cast his incantation. jungwoo flies towards him, and chenle's starting to chant, too, runes floating. kun comes from the left with sicheng. they circle around taeil's staff.

 

chenle casts a mirage over them. taeil knows chenle hates tapping into this side of his power, hates tapping his energy into darker arts of deception, but they have no choice. taeil used most of his mana on casting the whisper of blessings. taeyong still isn't here, which reminds taeil of the letter he has for johnny. his staff, thank god, manages to encase the paper in magic and shoot it over in johnny's general direction.

 

he notices donghyuck's presence near him. taeyong joins a few seconds later, whispering under his breath. they're all here. 

 

his staff blazes gold, white, silver.

 

_"en lynn etch cariennl, vanir."_

 

taeil can feel his robes rippling at the force of the teleport. it leaves traces of magic behind, for what happens with it, taeil doesn't know. but he does know when he opens his eyes, is that the final isle is as pretty as ever.

 

the heaven gate towers, looms, and overlooks them, daunting in all ways as it should. it's as ancient as can be; intimidating, yes, but architecturally ahead of its time, beauty everlasting. the large vines of flowers that wrap around the pillars swell with unadulterated energy, directly feeding off the sun. on the top rests the sun dial, glowing and brimming with iridescent, shimmery dust.

 

and at its foot stands ten, on the verge of collapse, and slain guards of the king. the portal is violently swirling, yet is nearly shrunken, almost five feet tall. 

 

taeyong rushes forward.

 

"we need to jump through _now_. hold hands."

 

they intertwine their hands, and taeil looks back for one more time at elyirion as taeyong cries at ten to stop, they can do the rest.

 

sicheng tightens his grip on his hand, so he squeezes back, reassuring.

 

"taeil," kun calls, peering back at him, "are you ready?"

 

taeil stares at the palace, emotions flooding his senses. he bites his lips. 

 

"ready."

 

and just like that, they jump through the tiny vortex to a new life, with renjun waiting at the mansion.

 

he can only cry for the ones they left behind. 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> notes:
> 
> -the places-  
> eloyirion: heaven basically  
> vaernth: hell in this story  
> emerald reach: the fields beyond the palace  
> mirage domain: a place of illusions, it displays people's fears and dreams. chenle refuses to go there, seeing as his abilities tie with the place.  
> final isle: a tiny floating island in eloyirion that houses the heaven gate, portal of realms. vaernth has its own gate on the sinking moon.
> 
> -the specialty shit-  
> whisper of blessings: the most powerful spell a mage can execute (if done properly): it grants you one wish per use, but doing so, it takes away most of your mana/energy.  
> gift of the corrupted: jisung's 'gift'. it allows him to read ancient text and perform ancient spells, but doing so makes you exhausted.  
> edge of the undying: johnny's sword, the odachi, has it. once blood from an angel touches the blade, johnny grows stronger immensely.  
> commanders: mark and taeyong bear the commander's burden. they have elite transformations that, if furious enough, can make enraged, powerful enough to destroy pretty much anything.
> 
> -stuff you should remember-  
> chenle: he's an angel that can do dark arts and can read people's minds and their fears  
> sicheng: can manipulate matter on a small scale  
> jaemin and renjun: psychic/clairvoyant  
> hyuck: the dragon spirit; only jaemin, mark, johnny, and taeil know at this time.  
> nakamoto: his wings are special. they can harden into a steel like material.  
> taeil: his staff is actually the guardian staff. he just doesn't realize.
> 
> thank you to erica for editing my mistakes !!! love you 
> 
> twt @laoxaichay


End file.
